Seeking Redemption
by Tundratown
Summary: When a group of arsonists cause great mayhem in the Fire Nation, Team Avatar must stop them at once, only to get sucked into a sinister conspiracy to overthrow the Firelord. Korra learns that not all of her past lives have carried out their Avatar duties as they should've which brought disastrous consequenses to one land.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't own The Legend of Korra, only my own made up characters.**_

 **This is my first fanfiction, so I'm still trying to figure things out. I think I need to practice a bit more to write the characters in the right way.**

 **Sorry for the lack of Korra in the first chapter but I'll make sure she's in the story soon.**

 **English is not my first language so feel free to point out some mistakes I've made and I'll try and correct them.**

 **Tell me what you think, what you like and what you didn't like in the reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Cover image by IShot-U (DeviantArt)/coffeependulum (Tumblr)**

* * *

 _ **\- Chapter 01 -**_

Ever since Korra and Asami have returned from their vacation to the Spirit World, both women have been preoccupied by trying to resolve different issues in the world.  
Asami was busy running Future Industries and reconstructing the new infrastructure of Republic City after Kuvira's attempt to take over the city.

Everything was still in disarray.

Most of her machines were destroyed during their last big battle so Asami needed to build some new and handy equipment gear to speed up the reconstruction process.  
The first two weeks after her well-deserved vacation, she was overwhelmed with work. She often pulled all-nighters and when she did get some sleep, it was behind her desk.  
Asami hated to admit that maybe going to the Spirit World has made it incredibly hard for her to get back into her regular work schedule and wanted to blame the dark-skinned woman for it.

She gave a small chuckle when she thought about Korra. Though their vacation was cut short, it was definitely one of the best experiences she'd ever had. The calmness, the beautiful scenery, all the unusual creatures she's met and above all that her relationship with Korra had blossomed even more and the two had enjoyed each other's company very dearly.

Asami dropped the pen she was holding onto her desk.

She looked at all the unfinished blueprints for the new prototypes she and Varrick had been working on. It took forever.

Asami let out a deep sigh. Everyone had been so busy these days.

Bolin had been helping her with the reconstruction and he also had been going back and forth to Zaofu to see Opal regularly.

Mako had gone back to being a detective after playing Prince Wu's bodyguard, catching bad guys, filing in reports, also working late nights. She remembered the last time she saw him. He was having some problems with a witness and spent the entire night at the station. His unkempt appearance made him look like quite the suspicious figure to the new interns and they made sure to stay out of his way. The Chief even ordered him to go home or at least to take a shower.

And Korra... well, no one has heard from her in months now. She had her hands full with Avatar duties in the Fire Nation which took longer than she'd expected. The two hadn't seen or talked to each other in a long time, five months to be precise.

A loud bang forced Asami to snap out of her thoughts. She stood up, her body aching all over because she had been working six hours without pausing. Leaving her office, she heard another bang. Asami followed the sound and found Varrick and Zhu Li waving away some smoke.

"What's all this noise?" Asami asked, still a bit weary from all the work.

"Asami! Just the woman I needed! Varrick shouted in excitement. "I think we might have a problem with the generator of this thing. We need one with much more power to start this piece of metal up!"

"What? But this is the best we have!"

"Exactly! See the problem now?"

"This is taking longer than I expected. I don't think Raiko will be happy about it." Asami said annoyed. "I'll try and see what I can do."

"It can wait tomorrow though." Zhu Li suggested. "You've been working long hours again. You should take a break."

"Thank you for your concern, Zhu Li, but really, I'm fine." she reassured her, trying her best to sound convincing enough.

"Yeah, you heard her! If the woman wants to work long hours than let her work long hours!"

Zhu Li glared at her husband.

"Easy for you to say. You're always thinking about work, even on our honeymoon." She pointed out.

"Well, my work is my life." Varrick defended himself, seeing that his wife was still annoyed, he quickly added: "And you, of course!"

He pulled her closely to him and said: "How about you and I go out to dinner tonight, huh?"

Zhu Li could no longer be angry at him and smiled. "Perfect."

"Now let's get this thing working!" Varrick screamed in high spirits.

"If you need any help, let me know." Asami said.

"Don't worry about it, Asami. My lovely wife and I will make this baby talk sooner or later. Alright, Zhu Li, let's put our souls into this!"

* * *

"Again?! Petty theft?!" Mako shouted frustrated. "This is the fifth time this week!"

"Well, with some citizens' houses destroyed, all their stuff is lying in the open." Chief Beifong explained, understanding the young detective's frustrations. "I know it's stupid but it's still a crime."

Mako sighed. "I know."

Even though he went back to his usual work, he did not expect this.

Solving the most pointless crimes committed by desperate people, filing endless reports and breaking up stupid street fights. These were all things a regular officer should handle, instead Mako was stuck with it. He already wasted a few weeks resting because of his arm but once he was back in action, unfortunately for him, there was none.

"Look kid, this is only temporary." Lin tried to cheer him up. "I've gotta go. President Raiko is waiting for me."  
With that she left HQ.

Mako threw himself into his chair, looking up at the grey ceiling of the precinct. He wondered what everyone else was doing.

Bolin was still in Zaofu, Asami was probably buried under work and Korra was handling stuff in the Fire Nation. It's been a while since all of Team Avatar had been together.

Everyone was preoccupied dealing with their own stuff, none of them had much time to catch up with one another.

...

Apparently Mako had dozed off for quite some time. He stood up and walked towards one of the officers.

"Is the Chief back yet?" he asked.

"No, she's still at President Raiko's press conference."

"Press conference? Again?"

Mako had gone to city hall and found a large crowd of citizens and reporters around President Raiko, who was holding his third press conference this month.

 _"How long until the preparations are ready, President?"_

 _"What about the Avatar? Is she coming back anytime soon?"_

 _"What about the people who've lost their homes during Kuvira's attack?"_

 _"Any news on when the Avatar's returning to Republic City?"_

 _"What are you going to do about the new spirit portal that appeared in the middle of our city?"_

Raiko was overwhelmed with questions he no longer could avoid.  
In a serious tone, he finally spoke while rubbing his forehead as if he was trying to rub away the headache that was trying to invade his brain.

"Look, we're trying everything we can to speed up the process but it's simply impossible to restore everyone's problems at the same time!" Raiko responded. "I have the head of Future Industries working at her hardest but obviously it will take some time."

This most certainly did not please the press as they began shooting another twenty questions at the president. Raiko did his best to answer all of them but Mako could hear a slight panic in his voice.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming." A familiar female voice asked.

Mako turned around to find Asami behind him.

"Asami, it's good to see you again." He said while they hugged each other. "Actually I was looking for Beifong."

"I see."

"So what brings you here?"

"Raiko asked me to come to the press meeting so I could explain the plans around the reconstruction."

"Well? What do they think?"

"Not much really. As soon as I finished discussing the topic, news reporters were already bombarding Raiko with hundreds of other questions." Asami said, unsure where the situation was going.

"Hey, you coming to Airtemple Island this evening? Tenzin and his family invited us over. Bolin and Opal will be there too."

"That's right! I almost forgot!" Asami remembered. "Of course, I'll be there. It'll be nice to see everyone again."

 _"President, I heard rumors you had a hard time contacting the Avatar. Is that true?"_

 _"What's going on in the Fire Nation?"_

 _"Yeah, why won't anybody tell us anything?"_

This time Raiko raised his voice, tired of these questions. "The Avatar is helping the Fire Nation out at the moment. I've tried multiple times now to come in contact with her but to no avail. This press conference is over."

People were still throwing questions at the president, who had already walked away from all the racket. Reporters were eagerly writing down every word he had uttered, ready to publish this in tomorrow's paper.

Mako turned to Asami. "Have you heard from Korra yet?"

"No. Not a word." Her expression, sad.

"Cheer up. She'll be back soon." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her worries.

"I know that." She replied weakly.

* * *

The sun was slowly descending and the sky had turned into a beautiful scarlet color.

The streets of Republic City were calm, a few officers were still roaming through the city, helping out citizens to find a shelter for tonight.

Back at Airtemple Island, Tenzin and his family were getting ready for dinner. Meelo was airbending some expensive-looking plates onto the wooden dinner table.

"Meelo, be careful with those!" Pema warned her son.

"Don't worry, mom. I've got this!" Meelo reassured her and carefully landed the plates on the table. "See." He said full of pride.

Pema sighed in relief. Meanwhile Tenzin, Ikki, Jinora, Bumi and Kai brought the rest of the food to the living room.

"I can't wait 'till everyone gets here! Daddy, do you think Korra will be here this time?" Ikki said enthusiastically while she placed the dishes on the table.

"She's been away for a really long time now, hasn't she, dad?" Jinora said.

"What are you girls whining about?! Korra's busy catching bad guys!" Meelo told his sisters and illustrated his thoughts by punching his fists in the air.

"But don't you miss her, Meelo?" Ikki asked.

"Well, yeah, but when she comes back the more stories she's got to tell."

"Look! They're here!" Ikki shouted ecstatically while pointing at the open window where they could see Juicy carrying Asami, Mako, Bolin and Opal to the courtyard.

"Welcome everyone. It's good to see you all again." Tenzin greeted them.

"Hey, Mako, got any cool cop stories to tell?" Meelo asked.

"Yeah, caught any bad guys these days?" Bumi said.

"Opal, long time no see! How are things going between you and Bolin? Any romantic stories to tell?" Ikki asked full of curiosity.

"You have no idea." Bolin teased her.

"Asami, I heard you and Varrick were working on a new project for your company." Jinora said.

"Really? How cool is that?" Kai added.

"Looks like everyone's already enjoining themselves, dear." Pema said to her husband.

"Alright, everyone, why don't we go inside and have some dinner?"

Everyone was enjoining dinner while the radio was playing some old tunes in the background.

"Did you see the press conference Raiko was holding today?" Mako asked Tenzin.

"Ah, yes, I've heard about it over the radio. Seems like the president needs a new strategy." Tenzin answered with little concern in his voice.

"There's not much we can do about it tough. We're going as fast as we can." Asami said.

"Tell me about. We've got so many complaints back at HQ." Mako said irritated.

"I see Lin has her hands full too with the situation." Tenzin sighed.

"Well, mom has been asking her to take a break and come visit us back in Zaofu but she told us she can't leave the place with everything that's been going on." Opal said.

"How is your mother doing after what happened with Kuvira?" Pema wondered.

"She's doing alright. She understand that Kuvira needs to pay for her crimes but it still makes her sad sometimes. She just wished she could've helped her in some way, you know."

"Don't worry about your mother, Opal. She's a strong woman." Tenzin said and gave her a gentle smile.

"Tenzin's right. She's a Beifong after all." Bolin agreed.

"Yeah, you're right Anyway, let's talk about something else." She said, trying to change the subject to a happier topic.

"Well, if you want to, Raiko is throwing a gala to celebrate the finished plans of the reconstruction." Asami informed everyone.

"Since when did you finish them?" Mako asked surprised.

"Just before I arrived here." She smiled.

"Haha! That's awesome!" Bolin cried in joy while Mako remained confused.

"Is that really necessary though? Throwing a party and all?"

"Not really but he insisted because it'll calm down the press." Asami explained to Mako.

"I bet the people of Republic City will be glad to hear that." Opal commented.

"Well, that's the plan." Asami said. "So are you guys coming?"

"Count us in!" Bolin said and he pulled Opal and Mako to him.

"I don't know, bro. It's still pretty hectic at HQ-"

"C'mon, don't be such a buzzkill! We can all use some good news!" Bolin cut his brother off.  
Afterwards Bolin leaned closer to Asami and whispered: "I'll make sure Mr. Detective makes some time." And gave her a playful wink.

Asami chuckled at her friend.

"We'll be there too, Asami." Tenzin said while his wife nodded in agreement.

"Do we get to see some of your cool robots?" Meelo wanted to know.

"Of course, there'll be lots of them."

"Awesome!" Meelo shouted while everyone watched the young airbender amusingly.

"By the way, Tenzin, have you heard from Korra yet?" A questions she had been eager to ask since they arrived at Airtemple Island.

"Yeah, dad, when is she coming back?" Ikki asked her father.

"I'm afraid not." He said in a somber tone, ignoring his daughter's question. "The last time I spoke with Korra, she told me the situation in the Fire Nation has grown direr and she didn't know how long it'll take."

"And how long ago was that?"

"Three months ago."

Ikki uttered a long moan. "I hope Korra comes back soon. I miss her."

Tenzin stroke her daughter's head. "I know, Ikki. We'll just have to wait a little longer."

The rest of the evening went by quickly. Bolin, Opal and Bumi spent most of their time playing with the kids, Naga and Pabu while Mako just watched from afar after his brother persuaded him into joining their little game.

Meanwhile Asami was helping Pema with the dishes while Tenzin went out for some business.

"Are you okay?" Pema asked concerned, noticing something was bothering the engineer.

"What?" Asami said, caught off guard, her mind completely somewhere else.

"It seems like something's troubling you."

"No, it's fine." Asami said, trying to drop the conversation.

"Are you sure?" The mother asked, not convinced at all.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Asami put away the last plates. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"Oh no, thank you, dear."

Asami was on her way to the courtyard when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and changed directions.

The next moment she found herself in the girl's dormitory. She stopped in front of a closed room, hesitating whether she should open it or not but her hand was already sliding the door open.

The room was empty. The blankets on the bed were neatly folded and it looked like the room hasn't been used recently.

Asami opened a window to let some fresh air fill the room. There was a small bag in the corner of the room and Asami had recognized it immediately since Korra brought it with her during their trip to the Spirit World.

Asami lied down on the bed for a minute, the empty place next to her gave her a sad feeling. She stroke the empty spot and watched the pillow that hasn't been slept on in months.

"Come home soon, okay?" She whispered.

* * *

Mako watched his brother make an attempt to get Pabu of Naga's back but ultimately failed and fell to the ground. The kids laughed while Opal pulled him back up.

"Looks like they're having fun." Asami had returned from the girl's dormitory and joined Mako in the courtyard.

"Well, you know Bolin, he's all about having fun."

"What about you?" She teased him.

"I think I'll sit this one out."

"Hey guys!" Bolin shouted when he noticed Asami had joined them and waved happily at the pair. Asami and Mako returned the gesture and continued to watch them. Asami had noticed Mako seemed a bit out of it.

"Are you okay?" Asami asked.

"Sure." He said, absent-mindedly.

"Wanna try that again?" she said, not convinced at all.

Mako let out a sigh. "It's just weird. How calm everything is now."

Asami didn't seem to understand the firebender as she looked at him with a confused look.

"I mean, this morning everything was so chaotic but now, everything is just fine. Nobody's complaining or yelling at someone else. It makes me wonder if this is as good as it gets. A peaceful evening."

"I get it. You think this is the best we get. One quiet night."

"What if it is? We'll have to wake up every morning in constant peril waiting for the next thing to be fixed. I don't think we'll ever get a day without any trouble."

"Probably but that's just how it is. When things finally start to work again, there's always something to knock you back down. Especially after everything we've been through."

Asami watched her friends play in joy. She remembered what happened to her father only a few months ago. It's not fair what happened but she had to move on.

"Mako, without a doubt, there will be things in life that will cause great sadness or anger but no matter what happens, you can't sulk about it forever. You need to get past it but that doesn't mean you'll have to do it all on your own. We've got your back too."

"I know, thanks." Mako appreciated his friend's wise words. He had been feeling down after having some difficulties with his scarred arms but knowing that all of his friends were there for him, brought a smile upon his face.

 _Today was a good day_ , _he thought._

* * *

The next morning, a couple of police officers were surrounding a house. Many people ran away while some stayed to watch the scene. Mako had just arrived and asked one of the officers what the situation was.

"A couple saw a man threatening the owner of the house and when he refused to let him in, he forced his way in. The man has been brought to the hospital. We don't know if there was still someone inside."

"Where's Chief Beifong?" Mako asked.

"She was on another case when I called it in. She said she'd be here as soon as she can."

"This is bad. We don't know if he has any hostages inside."

"But the Chief-"

"There's no time. I'm going in!" Mako cut him off. He made his way through the front door. "Police! Open up!"

No answer.

Mako kicked in the door and made his way to the closest room which was the living room. It was a mess, furniture was shredded, stuff was thrown all over the floor. Mako concluded that someone was still inside when the man broke in or he was searching for something... or both. Not seeing anyone in this room, he moved on to the kitchen where a woman was lying on the floor. Mako rushed to her side and gently shook her shoulders.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me?" He whispered anxiously.

The woman awoke in shock, she was about to let out a scream but Mako stopped her. The woman, having calmed down a bit, spoke with fear in her voice: "M-my daughter! She's still upstairs! Please help her!"

Mako grabbed his walkie-talkie and called someone to come and get this woman outside. When an officer had arrived, Mako turned to her and said: "This officer will safely get you outside."

"My- " The woman began.

"Don't worry, miss. I'll do everything I can to get your daughter safely out of here."

The woman looked the young detective in the eyes and nodded. The officer guided her outside and Mako made his way upstairs. He noticed one of the doors was ajar. He quietly made his way towards the open room and slowly pushed the bedroom door. Inside was a little girl, fast asleep, unaware of the situation she's in. Next to her was a robust, tall man looking at her. One small thing caught Mako's attention which was a small, red tattoo on the man's bald head. It was a dragon curled up, forming a circle and inside was the Chinese character '火' fire surrounded by a sea of flames. For some reason it gave him a sinister feeling.

Before Mako could take another step, the door made a creaking sound and the man had turned around, eyeing Mako intensely, he put his finger before his lips, indicating him not to make a sound.

The man finally spoke with a gruff voice: "We wouldn't want to wake this sweet girl now, would we?" There was a slight hint of amusement audible. "Don't worry, detective, I'll be leaving soon."

He carefully walked towards the window and opened it. "Now, be a good boy and don't follow me, alright?"

The man jumped out of the window and Mako ran to see where he went.

"Send an officer to the second floor and take the girl to her mother! I'm going after him!"

Several seconds later he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. Mako jumped from the window and headed into the same direction the man escaped to. Luckily he could catch up with him and with some of the streets still intact, he used a shortcut and prevented the man from fleeing any further.

"Stop right there!" He ordered.

The man shook his head. "Didn't I tell you to stay put, Mr. Detective?"

"Yeah, well. I decided not to listen."

"Disobeying orders, huh?"

"There's only one person I take orders from and that's the Chief of Police!"

"Bad move, kid."

And without another word, the man shot three streams of fire at Mako who easily could block all three attacks. Before Mako could fire back, the man had already appeared in front of him, ready to land another strike. Mako tried to blast his enemy away but the man avoided the hit by pushing his hand away, sending the stream of fire into another direction. His enemy quickly gained the upperhand. He wasn't firebending but using martial arts to overpower him and knocked him out cold.

Mako's face felt the cold ground beneath him, the footsteps of his attacker were becoming more distant until no sound was heard.

It was completely silent now.


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter two.**

 **It's not as long as the previous one but I hope you'll still enjoy it.**

* * *

 _ **\- Chapter 02 -**_

"Hey, Mako! Wake up!"

Mako heard a voice screaming out his name.

It was loud, it was annoying.

In fact, he didn't want to wake up at all but he could slowly feel himself regain consciousness.

He slowly opened his eyes, his vision adjusting to the light. He looked around and found himself in his apartment.

"You're okay!" Bolin cried out in joy and gave his brother a big hug.

"Calm down, bro." He said while he tried to push him away.

"This is how you treat your beloved brother after I was worried sick about you?!" Bolin exaggerated.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, sure, tough guy."

"Come on, Mako. Don't you think it's sweet he was so worried about you?" Asami said and gave him a warm cup of tea, placing it on the table before him.

"I guess." Mako admitted while he scratched the back of his head. "Thanks."

He took a sip of his tea, hoping it would help his dry mouth.

"So what happened? Lin said she found you passed out in some alley." Asami asked.

"Nothing. I was just chasing some guy and he got the better of me." He explained, slightly embarrassed of his failed capture.

"What kind of man? What did he do?"

"I don't know, never seen him before."

Mako sighed.

 _Who was that man? What did he want? What was it about that tattoo that gave him such an eerie feeling?_

He threw himself back onto the couch, tired of these unanswered questions.

"What's wrong?" Asami asked him concerned.

"There's something about that guy." He said vaguely.

"What do you mean?" His brother asked this time.

"I don't know!" He answered irritated. "There's this weird feeling I can't shake off!"

He jumped off the couch and made his way to the door.

"Hold it! Where do you think you're going?" Asami asked.

"I have to tell Beifong what happened!"

Just when he was about to open the door, a piercing pain shot through his body and made him moan.

Asami sighed. She knew this would happen. "You need to rest first. Bolin and I will tell her, okay?"

Mako looked at her while Bolin gently pushed him back onto the couch.

"Fine."

"Get some sleep." She said as she left his place with Bolin behind her, giving his brother a cheerful smile.

Having nothing to do, Mako let out a sigh.

He looked outside the window, it was already dark.

Night was falling.

* * *

Somewhere in a small village, people were running away from a burning building, its flames driving away the darkness of the night.

Nearby firefighters were trying to extinguish the blazing flame with little to no success.

In the shadows two people were watching the horrible event. They heard the bushes rustle.

"Did you hear that?" One of them asked. "You don't think someone saw us?"

"Of course not! Everyone's too busy extinguishing the fire." The other man answered. "Let's go."

The two men carefully left the scene, making sure no one noticed them. They ran towards a truck that was hidden behind some large trees.

"Start the motor! I'll check the hostages! Making sure no one has escaped!"

One of the men entered the truck, trying to ignite the motor but nothing happened.

"The car's not starting. I think the motor's broken!" He yelled in panic.

"What?! That's not possible!" His partner shout furiously. "Hold on a second. First I need to check the hostages. Can't screw this mission up."

The man made his way to the back of the car and opened it. Suddenly a large gust of air knocked him 20 feet away.

"What the hell is going on?! Where are the hostages?!"

Avatar Korra was standing in a defensive pose before him, making sure he didn't pull any nasty tricks.

"Hey! Get out here! Give me some help!" He helplessly shouted at his partner but unfortunately for him, his partner was already slammed against the truck by another firebender.

"Got him." The firebender said to Korra.

"Nice job, Jiao-Long." She gave him a smile, revealing the man's identity before she turned her head back to the criminal in front of her. "Do you want me to go gentle on you or not?"

The man eyed the dark-skinned woman for a short second before answering: "Gentle."

"Then put on the handcuffs."

Obeying her orders, he quickly put on the handcuffs and was shoved in the back of the truck, together with his partner.

Shortly after, a woman wearing fire nation attire approached the duo.

"They managed to blow out the fire. Everyone's been brought to safety."

"Good. We'll take those two to Fire Lord Izumi." Korra responded.

* * *

Korra and Jiao-Long returned to the palace where they were greeted by Fire Lord Izumi.

"Avatar Korra. Jiao-Long. It's good to see you again. Any progress on the suspicious arsons?"

"No but we got the men responsible." Korra replied.

"The Hēi'àn are about to question them." Jiao-Long informed her.

"I see. With them handling the interrogation, we should get an answer soon." The Fire Lord said.

The Hēi'àn was a secretive and elite police force, similar to the Dai Li in the Earth Kingdom, dispatched directly by the Fire Lord. Most citizens of the Fire Nation have no knowledge of their existence, only hearing rumors about them. They are called into action to handle dangerous situations that might threaten the Fire Nation, especially when the Fire Lord wants to keep the threat from going public.

The Fire Lord seemed to be somewhat distracted and Jiao-Long picked up on it.

"Is there something the matter?" He asked suspicious.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." She began. "The Chief of Police from Republic City has contacted us this morning about a troubling fact. She told me a suspicious figure has been roaming the street of Republic City and she asked us if we knew anything about it."

"So... where is this going?" Korra asked.

"The description matches the man you've been chasing for two months now, Avatar Korra."

Korra's eyes widened in shock. "Jin is in Republic City right now?"

"Yes."

"We have to stop him. Who knows how much of his men are there with him! Have you contacted President Raiko yet?"

Izumi seemed to hesitate before she answered her question. "No. I have not."

"What? Why not?! He should know there is some crazy man running around the city!"

"I'm afraid this is something I can't do." She said determined.

"But Fire Lord Izumi, we have to tell the President so he can have policemen looking for him." Jiao-Long retorted.

"Listen, not many people know of this situation and I would like to keep it that way. If civilians knew what was going on, it'll cause a great panic!"

"Still, I think you should inform the United Council about this. I'm sure they'd be willing to help us." The Avatar suggested.

"No. The reputation of the Fire Nation has been dragged in the mud for far too long. We finally managed to gain our citizens' trust again after what happened between Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Ozai."

"But that was years ago!"

"I'm sorry but I can't risk losing the faith of my people again."

Korra sighed. She knew she couldn't win this fight.

"Fine. I understand." She gave in. "But who did you tell besides us?"

"My son and his troops are patrolling the borders to prevent anyone else from fleeing the nation." Izumi paused for a second. "Korra, I know I've already asked too much of you, both of you, but I must ask your help again. Can you please capture Jin and the rest of his men and bring them to me without anyone else's interference, even the police of Republic City?"

Korra didn't answer immediately. She'd have to lie to Lin and Mako about this whole thing. Instead she looked over at Jiao-Long who had been fighting by her side the past five months. A great firebender, ally and friend. When he noticed Korra was looking at him for advice, he gave her an encouraging nod.

"Alright. When are we leaving?"

The Fire Lord smiled in satisfaction at the young pair. "I'll have a ship ready tomorrow morning."

Suddenly a guard stormed through the door, pale with sweat all over his face.

"Fire Lord Izumi!" He cried.

"What's with all this ruckus?! Explain yourself"

"T-The two men you brought in!" He gasped for air.

"Calm yourself for a minute!" Izumi told the stressed out guard.

After taking a few deep breathes, he said: "The two criminals you brought down to questioning... well... they're dead." He said quietly.

All three looked at the guard in shock.

"What?! How is that possible?!" The Fire Lord demanded an answer.

"Suicide. They killed themselves in their cell before the Hēi'àn could interrogate them." He explained, not looking all too well himself while reporting the news.

"This is ridiculous! How mad are these men were chasing?!" The Fire Lord asked herself, having absolutely no clue what was going on.

"Fire Lord Izumi," Korra called out to her. "What do you want us to do?"

Izumi looked at the Avatar. "I want you two to go after Jin and the rest of his group in Republic City. Under no circumstances will you tell anyone about this! Not even your friends. Is that clear, Avatar Korra?"

Normally, Korra wouldn't agree so easily with her demands but seeing how dire the situation has become, she had no other chose but to comply. "Yes. Understood."

* * *

Back in Republic City, mako had rushed himself to HQ the next morning.

"Chief, I need to talk to you!" He apprehended Lin.

"I see you recovered from last night." She saw. "Good."

"It's about the man I was chasing!"

"I know. Bolin and Asami came by, said they had a message to deliver from a certain detective."

"They did?"

"Yeah. Told me everything."

"So any news on him? Do you know his identity? Or what he was looking for?" Mako rapidly threw questions at Lin.

"Calm down, kid." She said, trying to slow him down. "I have a group of officers looking for him but so far nothing."

"Just what the hell is going on?"

"I was wondering the same thing when I contacted Fire Lord Izumi, I thought she might knew something but she was very evasive when I asked her." Lin said in deep thought. "Something's up and they're keeping us in the dark."

"Why would they do that?" Mako asked confused.

"I don't know but she must have a pretty damn good reason not to."

"You don't think she plans on keeping it that way? With that crazy man running around in our city, who knows what might happen next?"

"Exactly. Hiding information like that... this situation is bound to explode one day. I'm just wondering what happens after that." Lin said, slightly worried.

* * *

"Hey, ready for tomorrow?" Jiao-Long asked a distracted Korra, who was leaning on the balcony of her small apartment, looking at the moon.

"Yeah." She replied weakly.

"A little more enthusiasm, wouldn't hurt. I thought you'd be super excited to go back to Republic City. What changed?" He asked her confused.

"I don't know. I know I'm supposed to be excited and all but... it's just been a while since I last saw everyone. Brings back some feelings. Not all of them good ones."

Korra was reminded of the time she had been gone for three years after Zaheer had done severe damages to her legs. It took a while for her to get back to her usual business of living but she managed... most of the time. Being away from everyone just brought all of these memories back.

"You okay?" Jiao-Long asked her concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad I get to sleep more than five hours tonight." She joked, lighting up the mood.

"Tell me about it." He said while he tossed himself in a chair. "Working with the Avatar takes quite a toll on you."

"Sorry about that. I didn't know it'd take this long." She said, feeling slightly guilty about dragging her friend through this mess.

"But, hey, now I can brag to everyone about how I worked courageously side by side with the Avatar for five months." He laughed.

"How modest of you."

Both benders enjoyed each other presence and the calm night they had before entering the chaotic mess that was waiting for them tomorrow morning.

"Do you think we'll ever get to the bottom of this?" Korra asked him, scared of what the answer might be.

There was silence.

Jiao-Long had no idea what to say because in these five months, they haven't found a clue as to what their enemy's' reason might be. Every time the two of them thought they had found something, there was a dead end.

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. "I honestly have no idea."

"I see."

"If the Hēi'àn can't even figure it out..."

"Well, you guys are kind of experts on solving these things."

"I guess there's an exception for everything. In all these years that I've been serving the Hēi'àn, I never stumbled upon something this odd before. Random arsons in the Fire Nation without some kind of explanation. It's just weird."

"I know." Korra responded, a sad tone in her voice.

"I don't know how you do it." He suddenly said.

"Do what?"

"Being the Avatar."

"You figure it out along the way."

"But still, basically having the entire world expecting great things from you, expecting you to solve every threatening problem there is. That's something I could never do."

"Why?"

"I'm just... I'm just not good."

Korra looked at him, he seemed to have a somber expression in his eyes. A sadness that can't be explained in words.

Jiao-Long had noticed the Avatar was looking at him.

"Not good at solving problems, I mean. In a civil manner." He quickly explained, somewhat awkwardly.

"Yeah, sure."

Jiao-Long got up and walked towards the door.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Korra." He smiled and closed the door behind him, leaving Korra alone in her apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is here!**

 **Building up the tension in this one.**

 **Leave some comments in the reviews if you'd like.**

 **Tell me what's good, what's not.**

 **If there are any mistakes, please let me know and I'll try and correct them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **\- Chapter 03 -**_

The morning began peacefully.

Mako woke up early because the sun was shining brightly through their curtains, illuminating their apartment. Bolin, on the other hand, was fast asleep with Pabu napping next to him.

He got up and freshened himself up. He sat down on the bench and looked at the time. It was 06h20.

He leaned back, eyes fixated on the ceiling.

The events of yesterday still haunted him for some reason. Yes, he failed to capture the man but it happens, it's not something to be precisely upset about. Mako thought back of when their parents were murdered by a firebender. It happened fourteen years ago. Their parents had gone out late, being invited to a party by a friend of theirs. When they returned home, a man had tried and forced himself into their home. Their dad tried to keep the man at bay while their mother ran upstairs, waking up her boys and telling them to hide. Mako not knowing what was going on, tried to ask her what was happening. Suddenly they heard a loud scream. His mother quickly kissed both her sons on their forehead before disappearing downstairs.

"Mako, what's going on? Where are mom and dad?" His little brother asked him, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Be quiet, Bolin." Mako whispered to him. "Go hide in the closet, okay?"

"What? Why?"

"Just do what I told you."

"But what about you? You're not leaving me behind, are you?" Bolin looked at his big brother, on the verge of crying.

Mako hugged his brother. "Of course not. I just need to check something out. I'll be right back, I promise."

Bolin looked at him and nodded with his little head. "I'll wait for you then, okay?"

"Yes. Wait for me."

As soon as Bolin had hid himself from view, Mako silently went downstairs. The sound of people yelling had stopped. Once downstairs, Mako cautiously made his way through the living room. There were three shadows, one was standing and the other two were lying on the floor, motionless. His parents.

Mako took a better look, trying to suppress the fear that was overwhelming his body, and saw his parents' chests slowly moving up and down, they were still alive.

His father tried to grab something but the figure standing before them, moved very fast and the next thing an explosion blew up the living room.

"NO!" Mako yelled. He quickly took cover by hiding behind the wall. Giant clouds of smoke flew out of the living room into the hall, where Mako hid.

There was still some rustling coming from the other room. Mako, hoping his parents had survived the terrible explosion, turned around and saw one shadow fleeing from the scene. The view in front of his eyes dropped the young boy to his knees. His entire body was shaking, he was grasping for air, and his mind were replaying the last seconds of what just happened.

He stood aghast at their broken home and bit his lip.

Meanwhile he heard footsteps coming from the stairs, Bolin was coming.

"Mako! What happened?! Where are mom and dad?" He asked scared.

Mako quickly grabbed his little brother by the arm and ran outside, pulling his brother with him.

"Wait! Where are we going? What about- "

"Bolin." His older brother looked him deep in the eyes, tears running down his cheeks. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then we'll have to leave now."

"But mom and dad- "

"They're gone." He broke the news to his brother. "It's just you and me from now on. I'll take care of you."

Bolin, realizing what he meant, simply nodded while he was trying to hold back the urge to cry.

"Let's go, little brother." He said while holding out his hand which Bolin tightly held on to and together they disappeared in the shadows of the night.

Mako grunted in frustration. He was back in their apartment. There were no broken walls, there was no smoke, there were no bodies lying on the floor. He was back in the present. Reliving all his bad memories made him wonder if this is why he was so eager to catch criminals and put them away for good.

"Hey, Mako. You up already?" Bolin had woken up.

"Yeah."

Bolin uttered a deep sigh while he rubbed his eyes. "So you ready to catch some bad guys today?"

"Always."

"Well, I hope you still have some time to eat breakfast with me." Bolin smiled.

"Of course." Mako replied, returning a smile.

"So what do you want?" He asked while looking in the fridge.

"Whatever we have."

"By the way, don't forget tonight's the party Asami invited us to."

"Right. I remember." He said distracted.

"So..." He began.

"So what?" Mako asked.

"Are you bringing a date?"

Mako merely snorted at his question. He hated it when Bolin asked him about his love life. After his relationships with Korra and Asami had ended, he had taken a break from dating anyone else. He wasn't in the mood to see anyone else.

"Alright, Mr. Grumpy pants. I won't ask again." Bolin replied. "Just making conversation here."

"Then ask me about the weather!" He snapped.

"Oh, come on, Mako! It's been over three years! You don't think that's a bit weird you're still not seeing other women?!"

"Shut up!"

"Fine! Just trying to give you some brotherly advice."

Mako looked at his brother. Maybe he should've left earlier than they wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

* * *

"Varrick, I heard you got those new prototypes working." Asami asked her colleague.

"That's right! What do you think?"

"That's great news! We can show them to everyone at tonight's gala."

"Haha! That's the plan!" He said in satisfaction. "The president won't know what hit him!"

Varrick eyed the young engineer, a mischievous smile on his face.

"So you bringing someone to the gala?" He asked her playfully.

"What?" Asami said, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"I mean a date! Of course I'll be bringing Zhu Li with me but what about you, Asami?!" He said excited.

"No, I'm not bringing anyone." She replied.

"Well, that's a boring answer." Varrick said disappointed.

"Well, Korra is _still_ in the Fire Nation." She defended herself.

"Then call her, write her a letter!"

"I wrote to her but she hasn't replied to any of my letters." She explained, a little angry with the dark-skinned woman.

"That's a shame." Varrick said.

"I still have some business with Raiko to discuss so- "

"Yeah, yeah, go! I've got it all under control here!" Varrick assured her.

Asami left Future Industries, not in a very good mood since Varrick brought up the unspoken topic between her and Korra. She had written to Korra while she was away for five months but she hasn't got a single reply.

 _Why wouldn't she write back? Did something happen that prevented her from doing so? And if that is the reason, than what hindered her?_

She didn't plan on keeping her in the dark like that time Korra got poisoned by Zaheer, would she? No, there is no way Korra would ever do that to her. She'll just have to wait patiently until she gets back to Republic City. Everything will be fine.

* * *

Asami had arrived at City Hall where she found Tenzin with some of the Council members.

"Tenzin, what's going on?"

"Asami, it's good to see you. Have you heard from Korra yet?" He said in a serious tone.

"Korra? No. What's going on?" She asked concerned.

"It seems that Fire Lord Izumi has been hiding some disturbing news."

"What kind of news?"

"She won't tell us. Lin informed Raiko about a mysterious man who has been committing serious crimes in Republic City. Murder, arson, everything. Lin said she had a feeling the Fire Nation had something to with it after she contacted the Fire Lord about our situation."

"So what did she say?"

"Nothing. It almost seemed like she was trying to avoid the question. That's why I asked if you heard from Korra yet. Maybe she could enlighten us."

"I'm sorry but I haven't heard from her at all. I think you were the last person to talk to her."

"I see."

"So what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm not sure yet but we'll figure something out."

Meanwhile Raiko had left his office and greeted the pair outside.

"Tenzin. Asami."

"President Raiko."

"I see we have a lot to discuss. Come inside, both of you."

Tenzin and Asami had spent most of their time discussing important matters with Raiko while Mako was chasing around criminals and Bolin had helped with the reconstruction. Everyone had a busy day and by the time they got home, it was already evening, meaning to get ready for tonight's event.

* * *

The gala was a big success. Almost everyone in Republic City showed up. Reporters were everywhere and the press were taking pictures of everyone on the red carpet, interviewing famous actors. The police was also present, taking care of security, if anything goes wrong.

Asami, Mako, Bolin and Opal all got together when they arrived. Once inside they met with Tenzin and his family. The gala was held in one of the fancy buildings owned by the President. The room was brightly lit by a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Tables were set with food and even an ice sculpture was present.

"A bit over the top, don't you think?" Mako asked Asami.

"I think it's great." She says.

"And the food's great too! You should try some, guys!" Bolin shouted while he stuffed his mouth full with delicious sweets while Opal handed him a plate.

Asami and Mako laughed at the pair.

"So I see you didn't bring anyone with either." Asami noticed.

"Yeah, well. There's wasn't anyone I wanted to bring."

"Really?" She sounded surprised.

"A nice guy like you should find someone pretty easy."

"I just haven't met anyone." He said awkwardly.

"Bolin told me you were sulking."

"What?! I'm not sulking! He's lying!" Mako said offended.

"Alright, calm down."

"I am calm."

Asami gave him a look.

"At least I was until you brought it up."

"Hey, is everything okay with your brother?" Opal asked Bolin, watching Asami and Mako from a distance.

"Oh, yeah. He's just sulking."

"About what?"

"His love life. Don't worry about him, he'll get over it." Bolin assured her while he grabbed some more food.

"Slow down, Bolin. You'll upset your stomach."

"But all this delicious food is lying right before my eyes. I can't not eat it."

Opal shook her head, no way could she stop him.

* * *

The rest of the evening went by pleasantly. Asami and Opal were catching up with each other and Bolin was dragging Mako with him to taste the rest of dessert. Meanwhile Pema had struck a conversation with Varrick and Zhu Li while Tenzin tried to get Meelo off the giant ice sculpture and Bumi was telling a joke to Ikki, Jinora and Kai.

One of the guests accidently bumped into Mako who turned around and said: "Hey, watch were you're going!"

"Sorry." The man said coldly and continued to walk towards the President.

"What's wrong?" Bolin asked while he handed him a drink.

"Nothing." He said, ignoring the man.

Suddenly people were screaming. Everyone turned to the sound to find the president held hostage by the man who just bumped into Mako.

"Don't let him get away!" Lin shouted at her officers.

The man who held Raiko captive was surrounded by officers. Before anyone could step in he spoke in a calm voice.

"Ah, ah, ah." The man waved his finger. "One naughty move and this man won't live to see tomorrow." He threatened while he pointed at Raiko. "Now, who here has a watch?"

The man grinned while he watched the crowd.

The party that started so well has turned into a disaster in a matter of seconds. President Raiko was held hostage by an unknown man. The police unable to do anything, stood there, eyes pinned on their enemy.

"Release the president immediately!" Lin demanded.

"Now I can't do that." The man said lazily.

"What do you want?!" Mako yelled.

"I think there must be some kind of misunderstanding. See, I don't want anything."

"Then what's your reason for taking the president hostage?" Tenzin interfered.

"Well, I needed to cause a little bit of trouble. I apologize for bringing your party to such an abrupt end." he said amused.

"This is bad. We can't do anything while he has Raiko." Lin said.

"Ah man! And I was having such a good time." Bolin complained.

"Really, bro? Mako looked at him annoyed.

"Sorry."

"Maybe if we could get outside help they could sneak up from behind and take them down." Mako suggested.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Asami asked.

"I haven't figured that one out yet."

"Whatever you're planning don't even think about it." Lin warned him.

"But Chief-"

"We can't take any chances when the president's life is at stake."

"I agree with Lin. The situation is too dangerous for us to take action." Tenzin agreed.

"We can't just stay like this either." Asami argued.

"Yeah, I mean, who knows what this guy might else have up his sleeve." Bolin said.

Raiko tried to get away from the man's grip but to no avail.

"Could you please stop squirming?"

"What is it you want? Money?"

"Didn't you listen?" The man grew annoyed."

"I don't understand."

"Yeah, tell us what your problem is!" Meelo shouted.

"Meelo, be quiet!" Tenzin told his son off.

The man laughed, obviously amused by the child's bold attitude. "Alright kid, since you asked so politely. I'm waiting for someone."

"Who?" Tenzin asked.

A smirk appeared on his face. "The Avatar."

"Korra?" Asami whispered.

"But Korra's not here!" Bolin said desperately as Opal put a hand on his shoulder.

The man locked eyes with Team Avatar. "That's what you think. I, on the other hand, know that she and her male companion are on their way to Republic City right now."

"What do you want with Korra?!" Mako snapped.

"We still have some unfinished business to deal with."

"Dad, is it true? Is Korra coming to save us?" Ikki asked while she pulled on his robes.

"I'm not sure."

The man took out the pocket watch he was given earlier. "Hmmm. She must be running late." He let out a long sigh and looked around the room. "Nice ice sculpture." he noticed.

"Thanks, I ordered it myself. Thought it would give a nice touch to tonight's event." Varrick responded proudly.

"You're not getting away with this." Lin warned him.

"That's what they keep telling me but yet here I am. Not in prison."

Suddenly another man had entered the building and whispered something in his ear.

"What do you think he's saying?" Asami asked.

"I don't know but it can't be good. Just look at that evil grin." Bolin pointed his finger at the man who was still holding Raiko hostage.

"You kept me waiting," The man began and turned his head to one of the backdoors of the building, "Avatar Korra."

Stepping out of the shadows, Korra and Jiao-Long had arrived.

"Korra!" Jinora, Ikki and Meelo screamed.

"You're back!" Bolin cried in joy.

"I can't believe it." Asami said awe-struck.

"Looks like everyone's happy to see you, including me." The man greeted the young woman. "Aren't you glad I picked Republic City for a change of scenery? For all I know, we could still be roaming the same streets in the Fire Nation."

"Enough games, Jin. Let him go." Korra demanded as she revealed the identity of the man.

"Not until you tell me where you're keeping the rest of my men."

"I'm surprised he took a hostage. Seems unusual." Jiao-Long told Korra, who nodded in agreement.

Jin, having overheard him, broke into a smile. "You're right. Hostages, they're just in the way! Better get rid of them before the real fight starts!"

Jin, pushed Raiko aggressively away and before he hit the ground Lin caught him just in time.

Jin was sending streams of fire at Korra which she all successfully blocked by earthbending several large boulders in front of her. Jiao-Long faced off the other man and quickly gained the upper hand, knocking him unconscious by zapping him with lightning. Korra dodged her enemy's attacks before bending the ice sculpture into a stream of water and sent it Jin's way. The cold water hit him hard and before he knew it his entire body was stuck in ice. Jiao-Long rushed to his side, holding a dagger made of fire close to his neck.

"I know you hid the rest of your men in Republic City. Where are they?" Korra asked.

Not saying a word, Korra nodded at Jiao-Long who brought the knife closer until it touched his skin. Jin cried out in pain.

"That's enough!" Lin stopped them. "We'll be taking him to HQ."

"I'm sorry, Lin but I can't let you do that." Korra said.

"What do you mean you can't let her do that?!" Mako repeated her words confused.

"Yeah, Korra, she's the Chief of Police, remember?" Bolin added. "She can pretty much do anything, you know."

"Look, I promised Fire Lord Izumi to deliver these men to her personally. She said under no circumstances is there anyone else to interfere."

"I don't care what she said. It doesn't change the fact that these guys committed a serious crime in our city."

"Fine. But if you wanna get to them you'll have to go through me first."

"Korra?" Mako said in disbelief.

"C'mon, you're not making any sense. Just let Beifong handle it." Bolin told his friend.

"What's wrong, Korra?" Tenzin asked her.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Asami suggested.

"No." Korra replied, ignoring Tenzin's question.

"Then why won't you let the police handle it?"

"I just told you why!"

Someone tapped the Avatar's shoulder. "What do you wanna do?" Jiao-Long asked her.

Korra sighed. This situation was getting out of hand either way.

"Fine. Take them." She said, breaking her promise with the Fire Lord. "But I don't want you to interrogate them without the two of us."

"Let's discuss that once we get them behind bars." Lin replied in a harsh tone.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello, it's been a while.**_

 _ **Sorry it took so long but I've had a lack of inspiration.**_

 _ **This chapter is shorter than the rest but I'll keep writing.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **\- Chapter 04 -**_

Everyone went to HQ to interrogate the man who had captured the president at the gala while Pema took the kids back to Air Temple Island. Lin had just come out of her office, where the entire gang was waiting for her.

"Well?" Tenzin asked eagerly.

"He won't talk. Neither will the other." She responded irritated.

"Maybe it's best if we take them to the Fire Nation." Jiao-Long said.

"Don't even think about it." She retorted.

"Well, they won't talk to you. It's not getting us anywhere either." Korra snapped.

"And you think those two will answer to you?!"

"It's worth a shot!"

Before the two could bump heads again, Tenzin interfered before things could heat up. "Calm down, ladies."

Both women gave the airbender a look.

"I'm just saying that quarreling won't help us." He said after clearing his throat while looking away from both women.

"Look, maybe Korra can get some information from him." Mako tried to convince the Chief. "Like she said, it's worth a try."

Lin gave a weak nod, not liking the idea one bit. "Fine. You get five minutes."

"Thanks."

Korra turned to Jiao-Long and said: "Will you contact Fire Lord Izumi and inform her of their captures?"

"Sure but don't you think you'll get in trouble since we broke our promise?"

Korra sighed. "We'll deal with her later. One problem at a time."

"You can use one of our radios." Mako suggested.

"Thanks." Jiao-Long replied and one of the officers showed him to a nearby radio.

Meanwhile Lin had opened the door to one of the interrogation rooms, looking at Korra, still not pleased, she said: "Knock yourself out."

Korra had gone inside, the door closed behind her. Jin was looking intensely at her.

A mischievous grin appeared on his face before he spoke.

"Avatar Korra, you finally got me." He laughed.

"Well, you didn't exactly make it very easy for me." She said annoyed.

"Sorry about that." He replied, not meaning one word.

Korra sat down, looking him directly in the eye. "What are you planning?"

"Hmmm. Good question. I don't really know. Kinda lost it along the way."

"You're saying you don't know why you burn innocent people's houses to ashes?"

"No, that I know but..." Jin paused, he seemed to really think his answer through. "Things just got complicated somehow. I don't know who to trust anymore."

"Get serious, Jin!"

"I am, Avatar! I am!" He shrieked.

"Well, sorry if I don't believe you. You're not the most trusting person in the world."

"Tell me, Korra," His voice suddenly dead serious. "if someone commits a crime, should that person pay for it with their life? Do you then have the right to kill that person?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Korra asked, confused by the sudden question.

"C'mon, you're the Avatar. You could answer a simple question before you throw me in jail, you know."

Korra stared into the man's eyes.

 _Where was this going?_

 _Is he trying to get inside my head?_

Questions spiraled inside her head, ones she couldn't answer nor her enemy would give.

Jin looked at the table, his face away from the young bender before him. Not looking the Avatar in the eyes, he mumbled: "You will pay for your sin with your life, Avatar."

Suddenly the cuffs on his hands snapped, they were melted. He jumped over the table and grabbed Korra by her neck, slamming her against the metal wall.

"Avatar Korra," He smiled. "You have no idea how much I've longed for this moment. To end the Avatar cycle right here and now."

Jin produced a flame, taking the form of a blade.

"Now I just need you to go into the Avatar state and all's well." He threatened while bringing the blazing knife closer to Korra's neck.

"You must pay for you sins, Avatar. Everyone must."

Korra tried her best to get away from his firm grip but to no avail.

"Look at you." Jin uttered disgusted while tightening his grip.

"What everyone seems to forget these days is that though you're the Avatar, you're still a human being like the rest of us. And just like everyone else, they have a dark side to them. I've been itching to see that side of yours, Korra. Too bad, you won't live long enough to explore the other you."

Just when Jin was about to land the finishing blow, Korra jumped up and produced a large blast of air from her feet, sending him to the other side of the room.

Suddenly the door opened, Lin had come and see what all the noise was coming from.

"What the hell is going on in here?" She asked while she eyed Korra.

"You think every Avatar that was born into this world carried out their duties as they should've? You're the Avatar! It's just a title! Underneath, you're just like the rest of us! Selfish and arrogant!" He shouted in anger before zapping out the light in the room.

Everything went dark.

In fact, the entire police station turned dark.

 _"_ _What's going on?"_

 _"_ _What happened to the lights?!"_

 _"_ _I want a group of officers searching the building_ _now!"_

Shouts of panic arose due to the grave circumstances. Officers who were firebenders created a small flame from their hands to lighten up the station.

"Chief, what happened?!" Mako asked as she and Korra came out the interrogation room.

"Jin's gone. He zapped out the lights as a diversion to slip away from us." Lin explained. "I want every officer on the lookout for the man who took the president hostage! He won't get away!"

Receiving their orders, officers rushed outside the precinct, chasing the man who just escaped.

"Chief, we've got a problem!" One of her men shouted.

"What now?!"

"The other guy we arrested with Jin... He died."

"What?!" Everyone gasped in disbelief.

"What do you mean he's dead?!"

"Well, he hanged himself." The officer explained.

In the background, Korra and Jiao-Long shared a look and both nodded at each other. The two carefully slipped away from the chaos and exited the police station.

"This is getting out of hand." Jiao-Long informed her.

"I know. I'm not sure the Fire Lord can keep up her appearances with what just happened now."

"How do we continue?"

"You think your guys can roam around Republic City unnoticeable?"

"Korra, you should know by now that's one of our specialties."

"Good. Tell them to pack up their stuff and enjoy a little vacation."

"No worries. With the Hēi'àn at your service, we'll get rid of the problem in no time." Jiao-Long spoke in a pleasant tone.

"That's what I'm counting on."

Meanwhile Asami had looked for Korra, noticing her absence at HQ. She had left the station, only to find Korra and her friend outside the precinct.

"Hey, why did you leave?" she asked.

"Sorry. Jiao-Long and I tried to see where Jin had gone to."

"And?"

"We were too late."

The Avatar gave her girlfriend a smile causing Asami to feel a chill down her spine. That smile Korra just gave her meant nothing. There was no warmth or love, it was fake while Korra's blue eyes remained ice cold. _What was going on? Why was she lying to her? Did she not trust her?_

Trying to ignore the questions in her head, Asami quickly rambled something out of her mouth. Anything was fine as long as it kept her mind of this uneasy feeling of dishonesty she just experienced.

"You coming with me? Maybe we could take a good night rest after what happened tonight?"

Korra broke off their eye contact by looking away before she answered: "No. I'm sorry. I still have some things to do. Maybe another time?"

…

"Sure." Asami responded.

The way Korra said it, almost sounded indifferent, apathetical, like she didn't care. It broke Asami's heart. The young engineer quickly turned around before Korra could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Okay. I'll leave you to it then. Bye."

"Goodnight Asa-"

Asami quickly hurried to HQ, even before Korra could finish her sentence. Once inside, the young woman felt to her knees.

Who knew five months could've made such a difference in their relationship? It wouldn't be like those three years, Asami had always convinced herself. Korra would be back and they'd be fine but deep inside, she knew all along that all of it was one big lie. Nothing felt fine anymore. Everything has changed, for better or for worse.

* * *

Korra came to Air Temple Island to speak with Tenzin. She had some explaining to do with her former teacher.

"It's good to see you, Korra. I'm afraid we couldn't properly greet each other under the difficult circumstances at the gala." He said while hugging her.

"It's good to see you too, Tenzin. It's been a while."

"Yes."

"Are the kids okay?" She asked concerned, suddenly remembering their presence at tonight's event.

"They're all fine. I sometimes forget how much they can handle."

"They're though kids."

"I know but as a father you always worry." He said, staring at his home where his wife and children were sleeping.

"Korra." Tenzin said, his voice serious. "I don't know what's going on in the Fire Nation or how bad the situation is but what I do know is that Fire Lord Izumi is deliberately keeping us in the dark."

He paused before continuing: "Even though I do not approve of her decision, I'd respect her wishes but the situation has gone out of hands and now Republic City has become a target as well. I can no longer look the other way, Korra. I hope _you_ can tell me the truth."

Korra looked him in the eyes, she hesitated.

"Tenzin..." she said reluctantly.

"You know you can always count on me, Korra. No matter what the circumstances."

"I know that but the Fire Lord just put me in a difficult spot."

"We always had each other backs, I hope that hasn't changed throughout these past months." He said with a sad expression.

"No, of course not, Tenzin! Look, I wanna tell you what's going on but Fire Lord Izumi made me promise not to tell anyone and, well, I already broke another one of her promises, I don't think I can afford to make another misstep and lose her faith in me." Korra explained.

"I see."

"I'm sorry."

Her apology was genuine, he could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. It's been so long since the two of them had talked, things might have gotten a bit awkward.

Tenzin shook his head.

"Korra, you know I'm always here for you." He said with a gentle smile while putting his hand on her shoulder. "I know you have a lot on your plate but if you ever need help or just someone to talk to, know that Air Temple Island is always here to welcome you home."

"Thanks Tenzin. That means a lot to me."

* * *

The night engulfed Republic City in its darkness with only the street lights driving away the blackness. Somewhere in a dark alleyway two men whispered, afraid someone would hear them.

"You couldn't get me out sooner!" One of the men mumbled.

"Hey, I got you out as soon as I could! Don't you know how hard it was to sneak you out with cops all over the place?!"

"Whatever! You'd better not screw up!"

"Listen, pal, I got the Avatar right where I want her, she doesn't suspect a thing. You, on the other hand, better make sure you keep your mouth shut!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! I've know you since we were babies. You have a habit of running your mouth!"

"Fine!" He snapped.

The two suspicious figures remained silent for a short second before one of them asked: "So what now?"

"We continue our plan. We can't back down now, not with our people sacrificing themselves every day. We must achieve our goal, whatever it takes."

The whispering voices disappeared into the night until the streets were quiet again and so Republic City went back to sleep.

Not a soul knew what kind of storm was coming their way, especially Team Avatar, they had no idea how big this threat would become in a matter of time.


	5. Chapter 5

_**\- Chapter 05 -**_

The morning was not friendly, at least not to the hardworking engineer, not today. The golden sunlight crept through her curtains and shone brightly onto her tired face. Though the glowing light was annoying, the warmth it gave off was very soothing to her skin. Knowing she could no longer fall asleep, she sat up and leaned against her bed. She looked right, to Korra's side of the bed. Empty, again.

 _"_ _You coming with me? Maybe we could take a good night rest after what happened tonight?"_

 _"_ _No. I'm sorry. I still have some things to do. Maybe another time?"_

Asami sighed. _What was going on?_ She asked herself. Korra's words were still upsetting her. She remembered dropping to her knees after their chat. Maybe she overreacted a bit. I mean, with everything that had happened last night, maybe she was just overwhelmed. Yeah, that's it. Asami convinced herself. I was probably just exaggerating. There's nothing to worry about. She thought, pushing her troubles aside this early in the morning.

Asami went to the bathroom to take a shower and apply some make-up, ready to start the day. Just when she was about to leave her house, the phone rang.

Picking up, she answered: "Hello, this is Asami Sato."

"Good morning, Ms. Sato. I hope I didn't wake you, calling you so early." A male voice replied.

"No problem. Who am I speaking with?" She asked, not recognizing the caller's voice.

"Oh, my apologies! My name is Genzou, I work as an engineer in the Fire Nation. You see, Ms. Sato, I've heard many great things from you and your company and I called because I'd like to have you on board for one of my next projects, if you're interested, of course."

"I see. This project of yours, what's it about?"

"Well, I've been asked to build some powerful fire-resisting machines that could come in handy during fierce battles or even wars, if one is coming."

"Fire-resisting machines? Isn't that a bit odd?" Asami asked without thinking.

"Well, maybe, but I'm just fulfilling my client's wishes. So what do you say? A nice trip to the Fire Nation sounds quite charming, no?"

"Hold on a second." She said while walking to her desk and opening up her agenda, quickly flipping through the pages.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I have much free time on my hands." Asami told the man while closing her little book. She could hear Genzou sigh.

"I thought so. A successful woman like you has her days packed with stuff." He commented disappointed. "I was lucky enough to get you on the phone."

"I'm really sorry." Asami said genuinely.

"No need to apologize. Thanks anyway. If you ever have some free time, feel free to call me."

"I will." She said and ended the call.

Asami felt bad for turning down the man but she didn't have a choice. Honestly, she felt bad for turning him down because she actually wanted to help him with his project. A few weeks away from Republic City would do her some good. Nowadays, she's been buried under work and drowning in her love troubles. There was no time to relax. _I guess you can't have it both ways._

* * *

Genzou hanged up on the other end of the line.

"Well?" Another person behind him asked.

"Didn't have enough time."

"I warned you." The man said viciously.

"Don't worry about. I've got it covered."

And without another word Genzou pushed the other man out of his garage, closing the door so only a small gap allowed some eye contact.

"Get it done." The unknown man threatened.

"You should know better than to threaten me, child." Genzou replied lazily.

"What did you just- "

The man looked down, his foot got stuck between the door. He must've taken a few steps forwards when he was threatening the old engineer without realizing.

"Get y'er filthy foot of my porch."

The young man, taken aback by his uncooperative attitude, eyed him intensely, almost if he were ready to devour his soul.

"Are we resisting, old man?" His face close to the engineer's.

"I may not be the youngest chap around here but I sure am a lot wiser than you, you prune. And if I were you, I'd get out of my face before things get worse."

Genzou, not showing a sign of fear, continued to stand his ground.

"Fine. Pick the hard way, Genzou, but do not blame me for the consequences that will befall on you. I gave you a way out."

And with that last threat, the man turned away and disappeared from Genzou's sight.

The engineer closed the door. Now alone in his dusty garage, he sat down on the cold floor and mumbled something to himself.

"Please forgive me."

Or something like that.

* * *

It was a busy day for Republic City, the reconstruction has finally begun, pleasing the citizens. No more sleeping in shelters or stuff being stolen. They were getting their houses back. Benders and non-benders helped each other out and thanks to Future Industries' new machines rebuilding the city was going incredibly well-paced.

"There she goes!" Bolin shouted as he bended a large rock and used it to support a construction before it fell apart.

"Hey, Bolin!"

The hard-working earthbender turned around to find Opal waving at him.

"Opal! What are you doing here?!" He cried out in joy and ran towards her to give her a heartwarming hug, even lifting her up from the ground.

"I was so sure I wasn't gonna see you 'til next week. You could've stayed at Zaofu though." He said, still hugging her, while Opal smiled and stroked his hair until she was frowning.

 _"_ _You could've stayed at Zaofu though."_

Opal realized what he just said.

 _"_ _You could've_ _ **stayed at Zaofu**_ _though."_

She did not just go all the way here to see her boyfriend, only to hear her presence didn't matter to him. Apparently Bolin was fine, whether it's with her or without her.

Suddenly Bolin abruptly pushed himself away from her, his hands still holding on to her shoulders.

"I didn't mean it like that, Opal. I mean, of course it's super awesome to have you here with me." He said, quickly apologizing to her but Opal wasn't having it. She still looked at him annoyed.

"Listen, listen, I only said that because I had a whole picknick planned out. I was gonna surprise you with delicious sweets!" He explained desperately.

Opal, unable to stay mad at him, let out a laugh to cut the tension.

"It's alright, Bolin!"

Bolin let out a sigh. "That's such a relief."

"So… " She looked at him amusingly. "How about we have that picknick now?"

"No problem!" He said, smiling broadly, and walked with her to enjoy a nice, peaceful meal.

…

The couple had found a nice, cozy-looking restaurant in what remained of Republic City.

Both ordered a warm bowl of delicious noodles to savour.

"So how come you're here in Republic City? Yesterday you left in the middle of the night, saying your mom needed your help to deal with some stuff in Zaofu."

"Well, that's what she told me. Apparently, Raiko contacted my mom about Kuvira's trial."

"That's right. How's that going? Is Raiko still refusing to give her one?"

"That's what he told her yesterday. Now she's coming to Republic City to have chat with him, maybe she could convince him to reduce her sentence."

"Well, Raiko is not the most easy-going person in the world. Still, if it's your mom's word against his. I don't know. Since Kuvira attacked Republic City, it's only logical that Raiko has some say in this but I didn't think he'd be so headstrong about this."

"Tell me about it."

Bolin continued to dug in his food while Opal just absent-mindedly swirled around the noodles in her bowl.

"Hey, Bolin. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course!" He said with a mouth full.

"Do you think Kuvira deserves a trial? I mean she did try to take over your hometown."

Bolin stared at her. There was sad expression clouding her eyes.

"Opal, you know what Kuvira did wasn't right." His voice was soft, there was unspoken gentleness to his words.

"But that doesn't mean what she fought for was wrong too."

Opal looked up, Bolin was smiling at her.

"All I can say is, Kuvira made a mistake. It doesn't make her a bad person."

Appreciating every word she's been told, Opal stared deeply into his eyes and all she could do was look at him with a loving gaze, realizing she loves the boy every day a little bit more than the day before.

* * *

At City Hall, Lin had informed the president of Jin's escape. Raiko uttered a moan of frustration.

Behind them, they heard footsteps approaching the duo. Lin looked surprised at the woman who had similar features as hers.

"Su? What are you doing here?"

Suyin, Lin's sister, gave her a quick hug.

"It's always nice to see you, Lin."

Both sisters smiled, contrary to Raiko who had held up his hand, already knowing what this was about.

"Not now. There are more urgent matters I have to deal with."

"Then make time because I'm not leaving anytime soon."

Su gave the president a nasty look while Lin stared at the pair, confused.

"What's this about?" She asked, demanding an explanation.

"Oh, I see Raiko hasn't told you yet."

"Told me what? President is there something I should know?"

Raiko, unwilling to discuss the matter any further, tried to change the subject but Lin wasn't having it.

"Nice try, president but you're talking to the Chief of Police here. I'm no fool." Lin cut him off, almost offended that he thought he could distract her.

Raiko sighed at his failed attempt. Looks like there's no other choice.

"Your sister has been asking me to give Kuvira a trial."

"A trial?"

"Yes. I rejected her proposition numerous times now but she won't accept it."

"Is that true?" Lin asked her sister.

"Yes. And I know what you're gonna say, she's done horrible things, but I think she deserves a second chance. Raiko, on the other hand, doesn't think she does." She said giving Raiko an accusing look.

"Look, Suyin, I'm not saying Kuvira doesn't deserve another chance but put yourself in my shoes for once. Imagine how my people will react when they hear the perpetrator who destroyed their home is getting out early! It'll cause an uproar!"

"Sorry Su but Raiko's right. The citizens won't take it good at all."

"But isn't there any other way?! At least have her transferred back in Zaofu!"

Raiko, realizing how much this has been haunting Su, turned at Lin and said: "Call the Council. Tell them there's an urgent matter to discuss."

Lin nodded and left to inform the members.

"Thank you so much, Raiko."

"It's fine. Now, I can't promise you anything. I'm just arranging a meeting to hear what they have to say."

"That's all I'm asking for. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Well, if you're really serious about Kuvira, you'd probably make sure the Avatar is on your side too, have her attend the meeting. I'm guessing her input will influence the final decision."

"I'll see if I can find Korra. Thank you President." Su said, expressing her gratitude once more.

Raiko nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go back to work."

* * *

At the end of the day, everyone was invited for dinner at Air Temple Island. This time everyone would be there.

The children were excited and could not sit still. Meelo and Ikki played around with Bumi, racing through the courtyard using their airbending skills, though Bumi still lacked a bit in that department, losing tremendously to the younger ones, he still managed to stay in the game. Jinora and Kai watched while playing with Naga and sometimes shouted some useful advice at Bumi whenever he fell off.

The first guests to arrive were Mako, Bolin and Asami. Pabu had already jumped off Bolin's shoulder and ran over to Naga before the trio were warmly greeted by Tenzin and Pema, telling them dinner would be ready in half an hour. Next Lin, Su and Opal had come to join them a bit later.

Bolin surprised Opal by secretly hugging her from behind and snuggling closely to her.

"Hi, there." He whispered softly in her ear.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before he put her down.

"Nice to see you too, Su. Been a while, hasn't it?" said Bolin to Su.

"It has, indeed. I see you're still as energized as ever. I hope you've been taking good care of Opal."

"Mom!" Her daughter complained.

"What? Can't a mother worry for her child anymore?"

"No worries, Su. I've got it all under control. You know I'll never let anything happen to Opal."

Su's expression softened.

"Of course I know, Bolin."

In the meantime, while everyone was chitchatting with each other, Korra was sleeping in one of the rooms in the girl's dormitory. She had been exhausted and needed a good rest. This has been the first day where she wasn't handling any Avatar duties, it was her day off. Korra had hoped she could've slept the entire day but Tenzin had tried to persuade her to join them for dinner. At first she was reluctant but seeing no way out, she eventually agreed.

Unfortunately, she was awoken by the loud voices in the courtyard, disrupting her sleep. Sure she'd slept all day but she was still tired. You can't just sleep away five months of chasing idiots in the Fire Nation in one day.

Korra moaned. She didn't feel like attending dinner nor was she in the mood to see anyone. She just wanted a peaceful morning, afternoon and evening before sleeping the night away. She was lucky enough the Hēi'àn arrived this morning, unbeknownst to anyone. Jiao-Long said he got it covered so it should be fine for the Avatar to take a break.

Several minutes had passed and Korra was still lying on the soft bed with a warm blanket covering her body. She knew once she'd get out, all kinds of trouble would be coming her way. She could hear Naga outside, the kids playing around and lots of people having a joyous conversation. Normally she'd be all for it, ready to get up and join them but not today. Today, she didn't feel like doing anything but sleep but that already backfired so there wasn't much of a choice than to get up herself before they send someone to wake her. Her body was stiff and aching all over. She went to the bathroom to get dressed and freshen up before heading to everyone else. Though she tried her best not to stall it was inevitable not to.

* * *

Everyone was sitting around the large dinner table while the radio played in the background.

"Mom, is Korra coming?" Ikki asked her.

"She'll be here in a few minutes, dear." Pema said to her daughter and watched her jump in joy.

And she was right too. Korra joined them shortly after. Bolin was already clutching his friend a bit too tight before Mako pulled him off the amused Avatar, giving her some breathing space.

The kids all gave Korra a big hug, saying they missed her a lot and wondered when she'll have time to play with them again.

Asami stayed seated in her chair, looking at Korra with worried eyes. Yes, she was smiling and she _seemed_ to have fun but Asami could tell she was exhausted. Physically and mentally. She looked drawn, not her usual happy self. Something about her smile looked forced, it didn't match with her eyes. Though she did her best not to show it, Asami knew. She knew Korra very well, too well not to notice. Korra had this childlike enthusiasm that would make her eyes spark but that spark was nowhere to be found. It was gone and it made her look older than usual.

Asami, who seemed to be lost in thought, had not noticed Korra coming over to her and pointing at the chair next to hers.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked.

Asami snapped out of her tormenting thoughts and replied with a gentle smile.

"Who do you think I saved this seat for?"

Korra smiled back and sat next to her, unbeknownst to the engineer's worries.

"You slept alright?"

"Yeah, it was fine. Wish I could've slept longer though."

"You must be really tired because I heard Tenzin say you were in all day."

"That's right. If it wasn't for you guys, I'd probably be still in bed." She weakly smiled.

By the time, everyone had filled their plates with food, they talked about all kinds of things. Bolin was reminiscing about how he got Pabu, Meelo pulled out some good cop stories from Mako and Bumi was telling his brother about the time when one of his ships of the United Forces got stuck in an iceberg.

The whole gang was joining in on the fun and time passed away quickly. Only Asami was distracted by Korra's lack of participation. She didn't seem interested in the stories that were being told nor did she laugh at their jokes. She had barely touched her food which was very rare because the Avatar always had a good appetite. Asami touched Korra's shoulder and the dark-skinned woman turned her head.

"You okay? You seemed out of it."

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."

"I don't know, Korra. I'm worried about you." Asami told the truth.

"What? Why? There's nothing for you to worry about, Asami." Korra said, tensing up.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me everything."

"I know but there's nothing to tell."

Feeling this isn't going anywhere, Asami backed down.

"Alright, I believe you." She said, not convinced at all but before she knew, Korra was already standing on her feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Go outside, get some fresh air." Korra said, not looking at Asami and before the engineer could stop her, Korra was already half through the door.

"Hey, where you're going, Korra? Dessert's not even ready!" Bolin shouted and his and everyone else's voices faded in the background as she closed the door behind her and found herself in the courtyard, alone. She sat down on the stairs and stared at the moon. Never has silence been such a friend to Korra. Naga had come and joined Korra and laid her head on Korra's lap.

"Hey, there girl. How was your day?" She asked her furry friend and stroked her head gently.

"Pretty sure you enjoyed yourself like always. If only I could trade places with you for one day. I bet it'll do wonders." Korra talked to Naga who only seemed to look confused at her.

Oddly enough, the night gave Korra a comforting feeling. It was peaceful, no one was screaming or panicking or setting buildings on fire. Just what she needed. Too bad it didn't last for long.

"Enjoying the night so far?" A voice from the shadows spoke.

Korra turned her head in the direction the voice came from while Naga stood beside her, alerted.

"Now, now, I'm not here to fight. Believe it or not, I just came to talk."

And suddenly a human figure stepped out of the darkness and into the light, revealing Jin, the escaped prisoner from yesterday night, before her.

"Avatar Korra."

The two locked eyes.

"How did you get here?"

"The front door." He said sarcastically.

"What are you doing here, Jin?"

"No reason. It's a free country, no? I can stand wherever I want."

"Not if you're a fugitive."

"True, I suppose but I've never been a big fan of the rules. Neither are you, right?" He said amused.

Something was off. His behavior didn't seem threatening at all. He just stood there, completely unarmed, smiling at Korra.

"I guess we can agree on something." She replied, playing along with his charade.

"How about we go for a walk?"

Korra hesitated. _What was he up to?_

"Come on, Korra. An innocent walk in the night, sounds fun, no? I won't harm you, I promise."

"And I can trust you how exactly?"

"You don't. But we both know you're not in the mood to join the rest of your pals there." He said, his head turning to the room where Korra just walked out of.

…

"Fine." She said, much to Jin's surprise.

Naga, on the other hand, tried to stop her, thinking this was a bad idea.

"It's okay, girl. I'll be back before you know it." She comforted her friend and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

With that she set off with Jin, the man she had been chasing for months, unaware of what will happen.

They had walked all the way to the beach, where a small boat was docked.

"You went by boat?" Korra asked.

"Not everyone has a flying bison, Avatar." He said and crawled in the little boat.

"Hop in." He gestured by waving his hand.

Korra didn't like this but she didn't feel any danger from him either. All he did was confuse her with this sudden change in his behavior.

Eventually she listened to him and joined him in his little boat trip. Jin started paddling and they set off in the middle of the night.

Both of them remained silent for a long time until the boat stopped in the middle of Yue Bay because Jin stopped rowing. He sat in front of Korra, looked at her, then glanced over at the water that was carrying them slowly yet lightly further away from Air Temple Island.

"You're from the Water Tribe, right?" He asked, somewhat distracted.

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just that I knew someone from the Water Tribe once." Jin paused before he continued: "Not really, though. My ancestors knew him, I didn't. He was from the Northern Water Tribe instead of the South. But that was centuries ago."

Again, he paused.

"I must admit that my way of approaching you may not have been the best one."

"Really? What gave it away? The countless times you tried to kill me?" she said annoyed.

"I suppose I should apologize for that." His voice was kind. "I guess I'm cracking up a bit."

Korra could sense a hint of tension in his voice.

"Anyway, where was I?"

"The man from the Water Tibe."

"Right. Him."

Jin seemed to be in deep thought, not knowing where to start.

"He had a rather carefree attitude or so I heard. I also heard he was very arrogant and always preferred to 'go with the flow' instead of handling things the proper way. And because of that he not only lost the person he cherished most but his life ended abruptly but not before bringing an entire clan to ruins."

The description Jin gave seemed awfully familiar to Korra, though she didn't recognize that last part.

"I'm talking about one of your past lives, Avatar Kuruk, who wiped out my entire clan and he was too arrogant to do something about it. No wonder he died so young, he was despicable."

Thousand thoughts stormed Korra's mind in.

 _Was he lying?_

 _Is this his way of getting to me?_

 _But what if he was telling the truth?_

 _Then what he said at HQ all made sense?_

 _He blamed her for one of her past lives' mistake?_

 _He blamed the Avatar because it was the Avatar who caused so many deaths?_

 _Is it true?_

 _Is all of it true?_

 _Do I believe what he said?_

 _Do I want to believe what he just said?_

"You're just trying to mess with my head!" Korra said.

"Maybe, but just because I'm messing with you, doesn't mean whatever I said is any less true."

A chill ran down Korra's spine. She felt sick to her stomach.

"I know that being the Avatar doesn't define who you really are. Like I said, it's just a title but I need to blame someone. And you're as close as it gets to punishing Avatar Kuruk for his sin, I need you to pay with your life. For all the family I've lost because of him, ending the Avatar Cycle should suffice. Don't you agree, Avatar Korra?"

An ominous grin appeared on his face, ready to spill some blood.

"I will have your head if it's the last thing I'll do!"


End file.
